My best friend at university came from a village near Stoke-on-Trent. He loved Staffordshire oatcakes, which we ate for breakfast on Sundays – three each, stacked up with the ‘full English’, plus loads of ketchup. They also make a great lunch (two is more than enough) rolled around cheesy béchamel sauce and bacon lardons, with some salad on the side. Make a whole batch and cook as many as you need the batter keeps well in the fridge or freezer. I’ve also found that cooked oatcakes can be warmed in the oven or in a pan successfully.
Ingredients
- 225 g wholemeal flour
- 225 g fine oatmeal
- 500 ml warm water
- 500 ml warm milk
- 5 g powdered dried yeast
- 10 g salt
- A little sunflower (or other) oil
How to Make It
- Whisk everything together, except the oil, in a large bowl until smooth. At this stage the batter will seem too thin, but it will thicken as the oatmeal swells. Cover and leave for at least an hour, until the batter is really bubbly and frothy.
- Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat, then grease it with a scrunched-up piece of kitchen paper dipped in oil. Give the batter a good whisk then pour a ladleful into the pan, tipping and swirling the pan so the batter thickly coats the base.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, during which time the surface will become pocked with holes. Flip over and cook for a further minute, then remove from the pan. Wrap in a clean tea towel to keep warm. Cook enough oatcakes for breakfast (or lunch); keep the rest of the batter in the fridge or freeze for later.
